A UGMENTED REALITY
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology which can be used in digitally merging the virtual and real
worlds to provide users with an enhanced view of the real world. The technology can be
implemented in a smartphone or tablet. It works by adding layers of videos, photos, sounds and
GPS data to the real world images and video.
The sports scores that you see on TV during a game is one example of augmented reality. The
augmentation occurs in real-time and in a semantic context with the existing video feed. But this is
just one small example of how AR is being put to use.

A Brief History of Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality has been a staple of sci-fi films for a
long time and has even existed in labs for over fifty years.
Morton Heilig's Sensorama Machine, invented in 1957, can
be considered the first augmented reality machine. The
technology did not take off because it was considered too
expensive and cumbersome to use.
It’s only in the last 10 years that the proliferation of
powerful and cheap tablets and smartphones combined with
the low-cost availability of graphics has made the
technology mainstream.
Heilig's Sensorama Machine

How Augmented Reality Works
Virtual Reality

Real World
Augmented Reality

Augmented reality falls between virtual reality and the real
world. It uses images, 3D objects, sound and even tactile
AR being used in a car maker’s assembly line
feedback to provide users with an augmented sense of the
world around themselves by displaying images or video on a computer screen or even a smartphone.

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From a technical perspective, AR technology “recognizes” objects, images or places based on
visual search, GPS data or edge-based tracking tools. The technology can be implemented in an
augmented reality browser, mobile app or even as a desktop application. The main aim of AR is to
add layers of graphics and audio over the real world environment in real time. In the image given
above, AR is being used to ensure that a new car model is going to fit through existing conveyors.

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A UGMENTED REALITY
How AR Improves Business along the
Product Lifecycle
Augmented reality is increasing being implemented in
automotive, manufacturing and construction companies as
engineering and design teams realize the cost and time
savings associated with using AR.
AR in Prototyping

Design teams are ideally suited to take advantage of AR when it comes to building prototypes.
Building physical prototypes is expensive and time consuming. But with AR, companies can use
virtual models and allow their engineering team easy verification of product quality by letting them
perform 3D inspections, CAD comparison, dimensional analysis, reverse engineering, and much
more.
The precise digital overlays possible with AR are making physical prototypes obsolete in many
companies.

Benefits of using AR in Prototyping
Quick estimation of project costs
Savings in material costs
Virtual evaluation of multiple options
Efficient communication between different teams because of quick knowledge sharing
Detailed analysis based on the AR software

AR for Service and Maintenance
Service
AR can be a very effective tool for service technicians if implemented in the right manner. Car
companies were among the first to start using AR for maintenance work.
With the increasing complexity of car systems, technicians are being equipped with a head mounted
display to guide them through the workflows step-by-step on an animated digital user manual. The
company can increase its service quality while cutting down on training costs and achieve higher
service levels.
Training and Education

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AR is also increasingly being used in training technicians and engineers in service and maintenance
work. For training, AR helps to visualize data such as CAD-models on the real-world objects for
maintenance work scenarios. The display with the customized software can be handed out to entire
teams or an as-needed basis. This means considerable savings in instructor costs as well as a detailed
understanding of the machines.
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A UGMENTED REALITY
AR in Marketing
Although AR originally grew out of the industrial sector and is increasingly being used by
manufacturing companies, marketers from all industries are realizing the potential of AR in their
marketing strategies. The technology’s use in marketing can be divided up into five roles:
Increasing customer involvement

Increase Sales

Enhancing the print medium

Virtual On-site Product Placement

Extending the trade fair experience

Increasing customer involvement
Augmented reality is perfectly suited to help retailers win more market share. AR gives customers
more product evaluation options and lets customers “experience” the object.
The layers that can be added in AR can be used by a wide variety of industries to enhance customer
involvement – home remodeling, auto parts dealers, paint jobs in both home and car and several
such uses.
AR can also be used by retailers and other B2C businesses to allow their customers to incorporate
social networks while using the technology. The advantage of this for the business is that social
networks play an important role in influencing consumer behavior and several studies have shown
that most online shoppers are interested sharing information about their purchases with their
connections.

Enhancing the print medium
In today’s digital age, where the Internet reigns supreme, the print medium is considered by many
to be an obsolete method of trying to connect with consumers. But print still commands a substantial
readership and the arrival of AR means new opportunities for both.

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AR can help companies to enrich their print publications with 2D and 3D information, and also
deliver content post-printing. With AR even the print medium can become a two-way medium. AR
can be combined with all kinds of print mediums - brochures, newspaper advertisements, flyers,
business cards, or entire billboards. AR can be used to add videos, 360 degree views, 3D models,
photo albums and even polls.

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A UGMENTED REALITY
Extending the trade fair experience
Having an eye-catching presence is one of the hardest things
to do at a trade fair. But companies deploying AR
technology can stand out from their competitors and also
provide customers and the press a unique experience. The
technology can be used to compliment the productpresentation with additional ways to explain the product. Automakers use it in trade shows to
display the technology and safety features of their models with an “X-ray machine” approach.

Increase Sales
Augmented Reality is also being used as a sales tool. Companies are using it to explain their
products in a more precise manner to potential customers. The strategy is extremely successful for
companies that sell context-sensitive goods such as home remodeling services and furniture
business. In these cases, a visual impression with respect to the real world is important for customers
before they decide to purchase a product.

Virtual On-site Product Placement
The placement of context-sensitive product visualization is
one of the biggest advantages of AR. Furniture makers are
one of the most enthusiastic adopters of augmented reality.
It lets them give customers the ability to integrate virtual
furniture into their own living spaces.
Sellers can give their customers a click-and-drag
functionality that helps the buyer choose from multiple
options. He can quickly integrate the products in the digital
catalog in his own home and then link it to the eCommerce
shopping cart in the same app.

AR for Customer Service
It’s not just sales that can use augmented reality. The technology can also be used to increase the
standard of customer service. AR can help the customer to set up the product, make upgrades or
decide on which add-ons to purchase.

Augmented Reality User Manuals

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Companies can cut down on costs by creating virtual manuals that makes it easier for their
customers to set up the product and carry out routine maintenance and minor repairs. This will not
only result in lower printing costs but also savings related to the company’s field technicians.

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A UGMENTED REALITY
Audi is using an augmented reality manual that recognizes over 300 parts of the car and returns
relevant information and virtual overlays for helping its users carry out maintenance. AR can also be
deployed on wearables such as glasses so that mechanics can have a hands-free experience.

Augmented Reality Navigation
Customer service is more than just providing good after
sales support. It also includes treating customers who are on
your premises well enough to make them want to come back
again. In amusement parks and other tourist sites, navigating
the place can often be tough, especially for those who are
not locals.
Tokyo Aquariumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s AR app was a milestone in this regard.
It designed an award-winning app that helps its users navigate to the aquarium. The app has virtual
penguins which guide the user along Tokyoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s streets. This simple to use app has won critical acclaim
from app designers and from the people of Tokyo.

The Future of Augmented Reality
The increasing number of leading companies that are investing in the technology means that by
2015, over $1.5 billion will be spent on augmented reality applications and services (Source:
Juniper Research).
The use of AR will continue to increase as more companies adopt AR. The proliferation of smart
phones and tablets along with the entry of wearable devices means that AR is going to become an
increasingly important part of life for both enterprises and consumers.

Softweb Solutions
Softweb Solutions is an IT consultant firm headquartered in Chicago, with a focus on delivering
innovative tech solutions to enterprises. The company has provided mobility solutions, end-to-end
IT systems, and web applications to Fortune 500 companies and dynamic startups.
With over 300 full-time software engineers working in both U.S. and India, Softweb Solutions has
successfully completed over 1000 projects over the past decade covering every major and niche
technology. The company is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and is also a partner with several
other software companies.